Console for attachment to a vehicle chassis and vehicle comprising a suspension carrying console

ABSTRACT

A console is provided for attachment to a vehicle chassis. The console includes a bracket body for a truck. The bracket body is formed by a casting which at least partly encloses a cavity for storing a fluid.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a console for attachment to a vehiclechassis and a vehicle comprising a console.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,031 discloses air tanks arranged in axles, crossmembers, stabilizer bars or control arms of a truck for storingpressurized air used for air suspension and/or for air brakes. In orderto form a cavity for storing the pressurized air, partition walls can bewelded to the structure.

U.S. 2005 0062251 A1 teaches an air tank as structural element beingarranged between the two parallel main beams of a vehicle's frame. Theair tank replaces a conventional cross beam. The air tank is integralpart of the frame construction.

DE 10 2006 010 185 A1 reveals an air tank assembly fixed to a frame of avehicle such that additional constructional elements like car wing orsplashboard can be attached to the air tank assembly. The air tank islocated inside the frame assembly at the frame's main constructionlevel.

It is desirable to improve the fabrication of additional fluid storageroom. It is also desirable to provide a vehicle with such a fluidstorage room.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a console forattachment to a truck chassis is proposed, wherein the console comprisesa bracket body which bracket body is formed by a casting which at leastpartly encloses a cavity for storing a fluid.

The console is particularly a suspension carrying console. Expediently,a casing of the bracket body surrounds the cavity forming a fluid tank.The fluid can be a gas or a liquid, and the fluid can be pressurized orunder ambient pressure.

Particularly, the fluid can be pressurized air. Favourably, the cavityenclosed by the console as well as the casing surrounding the cavity iseasily accessible and service friendly. Despite the very restrictedspace in a truck frame, additional space is made available by using thebracket body as storage space. The console can easily provide a storagevolume of several litres without colliding with other components betweenthe vehicle frame rails. Particularly when used for pressurized air, forinstance in the vehicle suspension, long piping can be avoided as theconsole is automatically located close to the wheel suspension where thepressurized air may be needed.

According to a favourable embodiment of the invention, the bracket bodycan at least partially be integrated in a casing surrounding the cavity.Advantageously, a portion of the bracket body itself can form acontainer or, alternatively, the bracket body can be a support for acontainer constituting the casing. Expediently, the bracket body can becast enclosing a cavity. The manufacturing of the bracket body issimple. The attachment points for components such as reaction stays orfastening rods and the like can remain unaltered. Only a middle regionof the console is used for forming or supporting a cavity for storing afluid.

Advantageously, the casing can have an oval or ellipsoid shape. Othershapes can be employed, of course. The shape of the casing can beadapted to the kind or state of fluid stored in the container.Expediently, the shape of the casing can be easily designed for therequirements of a pressurized fluid, for instance pressurized air.

According to a favourable embodiment of the invention, the console canbe embodied as a reaction-stay console to which reaction stays areattachable. The console can carry forces of the wheel holder over thereaction stays or suspension elements and introduce these forces intothe chassis. The console can also be called a reaction stay console.Production of the console can be technical simplified when the consoleacts as carrier and takes the function of a tank at the same time. Theintegration into a bracket body can reduce the number of constructionparts. Favourably, it is possible to produce the console and the hollowcasing in the bracket body in one production step, particularly bycasting the console and the casing enclosing the cavity in one castingmould. The casing can be defined by a sand core which can be removedafter casting the console. Thus, various three-dimensional forms andvolumes can be manufactured.

According to a favourable embodiment of the invention, the bracket bodyof the console can provide an opening for mounting the casing to thebracket body. In this case, the bracket body forms a frame around thecasing. An advantage is that the casing, for instance forming apressurized air tank, is easily accessible for servicing purposes or foran exchange of the casing. Fixing the casing to the console can beachieved by well known techniques, as for example by welding, riveting,screwing or the like.

According to a favourable embodiment of the invention, the tank can beinserted and fixed in a corresponding opening of the console.

According to a favourable embodiment, the casing of the tank canprotrude from one side of the bracket body only. The opposite side ofthe bracket body can be used, for other installations.

According to a favourable embodiment, the casing of the tank canprotrude from both sides of the bracket body. In this case, the volumeof the cavity which is partially enclosed by the bracket body is doubledcompared to a one-sided arrangement.

According to a favourable embodiment, the casing can provide a minimumvolume of 5 litres, preferably a volume of at least 10 litres,preferably of up to 15 litres. Expediently, additional storage volumecan be provided for a fluid, e.g. for pressurized air or another fluidsuch as oil or the like.

Favourably, by integration of the casing or tank into the bracket body,the number of parts in the vehicle can be reduced thus providing aweight and space efficient packaging of components. It is possible tointegrate stabilizing or stiffening structures in the casing enclosingthe cavity.

According to a favourable embodiment, one or more attachment ducts canbe provided at the console as inlet and/or outlet for the fluid in thecavity. Expediently, the attachment ducts can be connected to openingswhich are used for removing a sand core used during casting. Theattachment ducts can connect the fluid, e.g. pressurized air, toconsumers in the vehicle, e.g. an air suspension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention together with the above-mentioned and otherobjects and advantages may best be understood from the followingdetailed description of the embodiments, but not restricted to theembodiments, wherein is shown schematically:

FIG. 1 a perspective partial view of a truck-chassis with a consoleattached to a truck chassis;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of a first example embodiment of a consolecomprising a casing of a tank;

FIG. 3 a, 3 b a perspective view of another example embodiment of aconsole enclosing a casing of a tank (FIG. 3 a) and a cut-open view ofthe tank (FIG. 3 b);

FIG. 4 a perspective front view of another example embodiment of aconsole with a receptacle for a casing of a tank and a separate tankattached to the console; and

FIG. 5 an example embodiment of a vehicle comprising a console enclosinga cavity for storing a fluid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, equal or similar elements are referred to by equalreference numerals. The drawings are merely schematic representations,not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Moreover,the drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of theinvention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scopeof the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts for example a frame 10 of a vehicle such as a truck withan air suspension 12 comprising air bellows 16 and dampers 22 fordamping vertical movements of wheel holders 14 attached to wheel axles.A console 100 is arranged between the two wheel holders 14 and attachedwith an upper part 116 to the frame 10 for introducing forces from thewheels (not shown) on the wheel holders 14 into the frame 10. Theconsole 100 is a suspension carrying console.

The wheel holders 14 are connected to the console 100 via reaction stays18 at a lower bifurcated receptacle 114 of the console 100. One of theair bellows 16 is attached to the console 100 via a fastening rod 20.The console 100 comprises a casing 120 in its bracket body 110. Thecasing 120 can be used as a tank for storing a fluid such as pressurizedair.

FIGS. 2 and 3 a, 3 b depict two designs of a console 100 with a bracketbody 110. The bracket body 110 comprises a side wall 112, a bifurcatedreceptacle 114 for the reaction stays 18 (FIG. 1) at its lower end and aplate like holder 116 at its upper end which can be attached to thevehicle frame 10 (FIG. 1). The fastening rods 20 (FIG. 1) can beattached to the console 100 via openings 118.

The console 100 has in its middle part an integrated tank with a casing120 for pressurized air so that the bracket body 110 forms the casing120 of the tank enclosing a cavity 150. The casing 120 has a projectingouter surface 122.

Favourably, the wall thickness of the tank can be several millimetresthick, i.e. of about the same thickness as the middle part of theconsole 100 without the tank.

As a result, the mechanical strength and stability of the console 100remains virtually unchanged. The side wall 112 of the console 100 istypically thicker for providing the attachment for the reaction stays 18(FIG. 1).

The projecting outer surface 122 in FIG. 2 comprises a front surface 126substantially parallel to the plate like holder 116 and thus parallel tothe frame rail 24 (FIG. 1) and has side walls 124. Two borings 128 inthe front surface 126 are used to remove a sand core which is used as aplace holder during casting the bracket body 110. The borings 128 can beused to attach valves and pipes for connecting the tank to consumers fore.g. pressurized air stored in the cavity 150 of the tank.

The casing 120 can be embodied to project only on one side of thebracket body 110 or it can be arranged to project on both sides of thebracket body 110. The casing 120 in FIG. 3 a, 3 b exhibits an ovalshaped projecting surface 122 which protrudes on both sides of thebracket body 110 as can be seen in FIG. 3 b.

Stiffening corrugations 130 can be provided in the surface 122 of thecasing 120 if required for better stability. The shape of the casing 120can be chosen to available space in the vehicle, the required stabilityand the like. An appropriate shape of the casing 120 can be easilyfabricated by casting the bracket body 110.

FIG. 4 depicts an alternative example embodiment of a console 100. Thebracket body 110 comprises a central opening which is a receptacle 130for a tank with a casing 120. By way of example, the tank can have theshape of a cylinder. Of course, the tank can have other shapes asdesired.

The tank is plugged into the receptacle 130 and attached to the bracketbody 110. The connection of the casing 120 of the tank onto or into thebracket body 110 can be performed by way of known techniques in the artas, for example, releasably with screws or permanently by welding andthe like.

FIG. 5 depicts a vehicle 30 which is equipped at both sides of its frame10 with a console 100 enclosing the afbrementioned tank for storing afluid in a cavity 150, particularly for storing pressurized air. Thevehicle 30 is embodied as a tractor vehicle of a truck and comprises anair suspension 12 which is connected to the cavity 150 of the console100 for supplying at least a part of the pressurized air in the airsuspension 12. Of course, the pressurized air stored in the cavity 150in the console 100 can be used in other consumers of pressurized air inthe vehicle 30.

1. A console (100) for attachment to a vehicle chassis, wherein theconsole (100) comprises a bracket body (110) for a truck (30),characterized in that the bracket body (110) is formed by a castingwhich at least partly encloses a cavity (150) for storing a fluid. 2.The console according to claim 1, characterized in that the bracket body(110) is at least partially integrated in a casing (120) surrounding thecavity (150).
 3. The console according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe bracket body (110) constitutes the casing (120).
 4. The consoleaccording to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bracket body (110)is cast enclosing the cavity (150).
 5. The console according to claim 4,characterized in that the casing (120) has an elliptical shape.
 6. Theconsole according to any preceding claim, characterized by beingembodied as a reaction-stay console to which reaction stays (18) areattachable.
 7. The console according to any preceding claim,characterized in that the bracket body (110) supports at least partiallya casing (120) enclosing the cavity (150).
 8. The console according toclaim 7, characterized in that the bracket body (110) provides anopening (130) as receptacle for the casing (120).
 9. The consoleaccording to anyone of the claims 2 to 8, characterized in that thecasing (120) protrudes from one side of the bracket body (110).
 10. Theconsole according to anyone of the claims 2 to 8, characterized in thatthe casing (120) protrudes from both sides of the bracket body (110).11. The console according to any preceding claim, characterized in thatthe volume of the cavity (150) is larger than 5 litres.
 12. The consoleaccording to any preceding claim, characterized in that the cavity (150)is adapted to store pressurized air as fluid.
 13. The console accordingto any preceding claim, characterized in that one or more attachmentducts are provided at the console (100) for connecting as inlet and/oroutlet for the fluid in the cavity (150).
 14. A vehicle (30) comprisinga console (100) according to any preceding claim.
 15. The vehicleaccording to claim 14, characterized in that an air suspension (12) isprovided which is connected to a cavity (150) of the console (100). 16.A console for attachment to a vehicle chassis, wherein the consolecomprises a bracket body for a truck, characterized in that the bracketbody is formed by a casting which at least partly encloses a cavity forstoring a fluid.
 17. The console according to claim 16, characterized inthat the bracket body is at least partially integrated in a casingsurrounding the cavity.
 18. The console according to claim 17,characterized in that the bracket body constitutes the casing.
 19. Theconsole according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the bracketbody is cast enclosing the cavity.
 20. The console according to claim19, characterized in that the casing has an elliptical shape.
 21. Theconsole according to claim 16, characterized by being embodied as areaction-stay console to which reaction stays are attachable.
 22. Theconsole according to claim 16, characterized in that the bracket bodysupports at least partially a casing enclosing the cavity.
 23. Theconsole according to claim 22, characterized in that the bracket bodyprovides an opening as receptacle for the casing.
 24. The consoleaccording to claims 17, characterized in that the casing protrudes fromone side of the bracket body.
 25. The console according to anyone of theclaims 17, characterized in that the casing protrudes from both sides ofthe bracket body.
 26. The console according to claim 16, characterizedin that the volume of the cavity is larger than 5 litres.
 27. Theconsole according to claim 16, characterized in that the cavity isadapted to store pressurized air as fluid.
 28. The console according toclaim 16, characterized in that one or more attachment ducts areprovided at the console for connecting as inlet and/or outlet for thefluid in the cavity.
 29. A vehicle comprising a console according toclaim
 16. 30. The vehicle according to claim 29, characterized in thatan air suspension is provided which is connected to a cavity of theconsole.